Cigarette making machinery



1933- w. E. MOLINS ET AL 1,921,317

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINERY Filed May 27,,l931 3 Sheets-Sheet l EMF 1B6.

INVENTIKS 1933- w. E. MOLINS ET'AL CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINERY Filed May 27, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1933- w. E. MOLINS El AL 1,921,317

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINERY Filed May 27, 1951 5 Shee'ts-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 8, .1933

UNITED STATES CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINERY Walter Everett Molins and Cyril Best, Deptford,

London, England Application May 27, 1931, Serial No. 540,460, and

in Great Britain April 13, 1931 17 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to cigarette making machinery, and refers more particularly to an apparatus for automatically controlling the tobacco feed of cigarette making machines so as to ensure that cigarettes of constant weight are produced.

In cigarette making machines of the continuous rod type the cigarettes are delivered from the cutting apparatus of the machine into a deflecting device which delivers them in one or two rows on a conveyer band moving at right angles to the direction of the rod, but in the present instance means are provided for periodically defleeting a number of cigarettes on to another conveyor which delivers them into the pan of a weighing apparatus. In the case where the cigarettes are delivered in two rows, the conveyor which leads into the weighing machine is preferably arranged adjacent to the row nearest the cigarette cutting mechanism.

The weighing mechanism is connected to an apparatus which controls the speed of the tobacco feeding mechanism, and consequently, the rate of feeding of tobacco from the hopper of the machine, the inclination of the beam of the weighing mechanism causing the control apparatus to regulate the feed of tobacco the required amount.

The invention comprises an apparatus for use on a cigarette making machine wherein means operable to vary automatically the feed of tobacco to the cigarette making machine is operatively connected to a weighing mechanism arranged to receive batches of cigarettes automatically selected at predetermined intervals from the entire produce of the machine.

' The invention will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a cigarette making machine showing the invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism fordeflecting the cigarettes, and is taken in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the conveyor belt, deflecting mechanism, and associated parts, and is taken in the direction of the arrow B, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the deflector conveyor.

Fig. 5 shows details of a device for operating the deflector.

Fig. 6 illustrates the operation of a portion of 55 the apparatus. 1

Fig. 7 shows two cams also illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the cigarette rod 1. coming from the rod forming apparatus passes into the cutting mechanism enclosed within the casing 2, and the cut cigarettes are deflected from the tape 2 in the usual manner on to a conveyor belt 3 which is divided into two sections 3 and 3 by a central rib 4.

At definite intervals a number of cigarettes, for example fifty are carried upwardly by the chain conveyor 5 instead of being delivered in the usual manner on to the section 3 of the conveyor belt. The cigarettes fall one at a time into the scale pan 6 of a weighing apparatus '7, and when the exact number of cigarettes has been delivered into the scale pan, the following cigarettes are once more delivered on to the section 3 of the conveyor belt.

The batch of cigarettes in the pan 6 causes the arm of the weighing machine to deflect, the weight being shown by either of the pointers 8 and 9. When the machine comes to rest, a feeler 10 is lowered on to a stepped arm 11 formed on the beam of the weighing machine and the movement of the feeler 10 is communicated through the linkwork 11, 12 to an apparatus which controls the speed of the tobacco feed of the cigarette machine exactly in the manner described in the patent to Walter E. Molins No. 1,811,759, granted June 23, 1931.

After the weighing operation has taken place, the scale pan is tilted by a cam operated lever 13 and the cigarettes are emptied out on to the belt 3 or if desired, on to another belt or plate.

Referring'to Figs. 2 and 3 which show the mechanism for causing batches of cigarettes to be deposited at intervals in the pan of the weighing machine, the conveyor which carries up the cigarettes to the scale pan consists of an endless chain 14 having a number of pusher pieces 15 mounted thereon. These pusher pieces replace the usual deflecting plate and normally deflect every alternate cigarette made by the machine on to the conveyor belt 3, the other cigarettes being deflected by the deflector 17 carried on the deflector spindle 18.

A small pivoted flap 19, which normally lies near to the belt so that the cigarettes deflected from the cigarette rod line by the pusher pieces 15 may pass on to the section 3' of the conveyor belt is caused periodically to move up into the position shown in Fig. 3 so that the cigarettes will be carried upwards by the pusher pieces 15 along the guides and be delivered into the scale pan as previously mentioned.

The flap 19 is preferably secured to the shaft 19 whichjs supported for rocking movement to render the flap effective or ineffective as hereinafter described, and in order that an accurate number of cigarettes shall be delivered into the pan of the weighing machine, it is necessary that the flap shall move up and down at exact times and that the whole apparatus shall be in synchronism with the cigarette machine. A crank disc 21 driven from the shaft 18 as shown in Fig. 2 drives a small connecting rod 22, the other end of the connecting rod being attached to a link 23, pivoted at 24. The gearing is such that each stroke of the connecting rod synchronizes with the contacting of a pusher piece 15 with a cigarette. The pivoted lever 23 has a projection 25 formed thereon and another lever 26 pivoted on the same pivot as 23 has a corresponding projection at its free end so that a gap, which continually varies'in width as lever 23 oscillates, is formed between the two projections into which a lever 27 pivoted at 27 is moved as hereinafter described. It may be here observed that the lever 27 is supported for move- ,ment in two planes, a member 27 on which the 'lever 27 is fulcrumed at 27 being in turn supported for pivotal movement at 42 by means secured to any convenient portion of the machine frame. A spring 27 acting between the member 27 and the lever 27 normally urges the latter from the full line position to the dotted line position as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. Another lever 28 is attached to the lever 26 and operates the flap 19 through links 29, 30 bellcrank 31 and lever 32. The flap 19 is fixed to the spindle 19 which carries the lever 32 loosely mounted thereon and connection is made from the spindle to lever 32 by a spiral spring 32 When the flap moves upwards it strikes against the guide 20 and stops while the lever 32 and the links and levers connecting it to lever 28 move on until the movement of lever 28 finishes, the spiral spring 32 tensioning meanwhile. The flap is moved down again when the parts 26, 29, 30, 31 and 32 move in the opposite direction, and a foot 33 on lever 32 presses on an arm 33 pinned to the spindle 19 and depresses the flap to its proper lower position.

When the machine is delivering cigarettes in the normal manner to the section 3 of the conveyor belt, the lever 27 is free of the parts 25 and 26 and the link 23 swings idly, the gap between projections 25 and 26 opening and closing accordingly, but immediately the lever 27 passes into position between the two parts 25 and 26, i. e.. the position shown in Fig. 2, the motion of the eccentric rod is communicated to the lever 26 and the flap 19 is raised through the link work previously described.

The mechanism for actuating the lever 27 consists of three earns, 34, and 36. The inner cam 34 has two steps formed on it and a block attached to the lever 27 rides on the surface of the cam 34 and snaps sharply down the steps as the cam moves. The cam 35 has a single rise thereon on which runs a roller 37 attached to the lever 27. As will be seen from Fig. 2, the supporting member 27 is pulled by a spring 38 against an adjustable stop 39 when in its inoperative position, the spring 38 acting between the member 27 on which the lever is fulcrumed and a convenient fixed point on the machine.

When the first step of cam 34 comes beneath the-block on the lever 27 the latter executes a short movement by snapping down the step under pressure of spring 27 and lies on the front face of the lever 23 which at that instant is at .the lever 27 to be moved clockwise about its pivot 42 as shown in the intermediate dotted line position in Figure 6, and a spring latch 40 retains lever 27 in this position when connecting rod 22 moves outwards again.

The clockwise movement of the lever 27, moves lever 26 and thus lifts flap 19 throughlever 28 and its associated parts as previously mentioned.

After 50 cigarettes have been delivered into the pan of the weighing machine the cam 34 has rotated so far that the second step'lies beneath the edge of the block on lever 27 so that the latter snaps down once more and passes behind the levers 23, 26 and the flap 19 is pressed down again under the action of the spring 41 operating on lever 28. The lever 27 is then rocked about the pivot 42 by cam 36 operating on lever 43 and eventually the lever 27 is restored to its original position on the front face of the parts 23 and 26 as hereinafter more fully described.

The apparatus may be set to work at several definite time intervals, and in order to effect this a cam 44 mounted on a vertical shaft 45 is driven in synchronism with the remainder of the apparatus and depresses one end of a pivoted lever 36 from time to time. The other end of the lever 46 has a hook shaped pawl 46 formed thereon which is arranged to snap over a projection on the lever 27 when the latter moves over towards the pawl. As long as the lever 27 is retained by the pawl it cannot return to its original position ready to pass between the parts 25 and 26 in the manner previously described, and consequently, no cigarettes will be delivered into the pan of the weighing machine.

The cam 44 has a series of humps, for exam ple six of different heights and is arranged to be moved axially on the shaft 45 by a forked lever 47 which is operated from the knob 48 in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

According to the position of the cam on the shaft, one, three or six of the humps of the cam will depress the end of the lever 46 at each rotation of the cam and so by this means the apparatus can be set so that lever 27 may be released from the retaining pawl at varying intervals of time.

At the conclusion of the delivery of the cigarettes in the manner hereinbefore explained, the lever 27 is positioned to the rear of the plane of the lever 26 and the lever 46. Now lever 27 is brought forward into the plane of lever 46 by means of face cam 35, and after moving forward lever 27 is held by a spring stop 48*, similar to stop 40 to prevent it from returning under the action of spring 27 as cam 35 continues to rotate. The lever 27 is thus held by stop 48 in conjunction with pawl 46 until cam 44 releases lever 27 from the pawl 46 for the next cycle.

The mechanism for tilting the scale pan to empty the cigarettes is shown to the right of Fig. 2 and comprises a cam 49 operating a lever 50 which is connected by a link 51 to a small lever fixed to the same spindle as lever 13.

If desired the whole apparatus may be rendered inoperative by rotating knob 52 on shaft 53. A cam 54 on said shaft moves cam 44 up its shaft such a distance that pawl lever 46 will never release the lever 27 and an eccentric 55 prevents lever 50 from tilting the scale pan of the weigher.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the principle of the invention. For example, the desired groups of cigarettes for weighing may be taken from. the conveyor belt itself by a suitable counting apparatus but generally speaking it is best to take the cigarettes to be weighed immediately they emerge from the cutting mechanism in order to reduce the time interval between the manufacture of the cigarettes and any necessary regulation of the tobacco feed as determ ned by variations in the weight thereof to a minimum.

In some cases it may be desirable to select the group of cigarettes by permitting some of the cigarettes to continue in their straight path from the cutting apparatus instead of deflecting them on to the delivery belt.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with weighing apparatus, of means for moving cigarettes in the direction of the length thereof in a predetermined path, and means for withdrawing a predetermined number of moving cigarettes from the path and delivering the same to the weighing apparatus.

2. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with weighing apparatus, of means for moving cigarettes in the direction of the length thereof in a predetermined path, means for withdrawing a predetermined number of moving cigarettes from the path and delivering the same to the weighing apparatus, and means operable in timed relation with said last named means for thereafter discharging the cigarettes from said weighing apparatus.

3. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with weighing apparatus, of means for moving cigarettes in the direction of the length thereof in a predetermined path, means for deflecting cigarettes from the said path in a direction transverse thereto, and means operable in timed relation with said last named means for delivering a predetermined number only of the cigarettes thus deflected to said weighing apparatus.

4. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with weighing apparatus, of means for moving cigarettes in the direction of the length thereof in a predetermined path, means for deflecting cigarettes from the said path in a direction transverse thereto, and means including a guide member movable to engage the deflected cigarettes operable in timed relation with said last named means for delivering a predetermined number only of the cigarettes thus deflected to said weighing apparatus.

5. In apparatus for use on cigarette making "machines, the combination with mechanism for severing a cigarette rod into lengths to form cigarettes, of weighing apparatus adapted to control the density of tobacco in the rod, and means located in close proximity to said mechanism for removing a predetermined number only of severed cigarettes and delivering the same to said apparatus, whereby the time interval required to effect control of the tobacco density may be reduced to a minimum.

6. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with a conveyor. for feeding cigarettes-in a predetermined path, of means for deflecting the cigarettes along a second path transverse to said first path, and means movable in timed relation to said last named means into a position intersecting said second path for deflecting cigarettes therefrom.

7. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with a conveyor for feeding cigarettes in a predetermined path, of means for deflecting the cigarettes along two paths transverse to said first path, and means movable in timed relation to said first named means into a position intersecting one only of said last named paths for deflecting cigarettes therefrom.

8. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with a conveyor for feeding cigarettes in a predetermined path, of means for deflecting the cigarettes along two paths extending transverse to said first path, said means comprising separate deflecting devices, one allocated to each of the two last mentioned paths,

and means movable into cooperative relationship with one of said devices for withdrawing cigarettes from the path allocated thereto.

9. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with a first conveyor for moving cigarettes in a predetermined path, of a second conveyor for moving the cigarettes through a path extending transversely of said first named path, a third conveyor for deflecting cigarettes from said first conveyor to said second conveyor, and means movable into operative relationship with said third conveyor to retain the cigarettes thereon for preventing deflection of the cigarettes to said second conveyor.

10. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with a first conveyor for moving cigarettes in a predetermined path. of a second conveyor for moving the cigarettes through a path extending transversely of said first named path, a third conveyor for deflecting cigarettes from said first conveyor to said second conveyor, means movable into operative relationship with said third conveyor to retain the cigarettes thereon for preventing deflection of the cigarettes to said second conveyor, and mechanism for withdrawing said means from operative relationship with said third conveyor when a predetermined number of cigarettes have been retained on said third conveyor.

11. In apparatus for use on a cigarette making machine, the combination with a conveyor having pusher pieces thereon arranged to engage and impel cigarettes in-one path, of means movable into and out of operative relationship with said conveyor to retain the cigarettes thereon for diverting the same into another path.

12. In apparatus for use on a cigarette making machine, ,the combination with a conveyor having pusher pieces thereon arranged to engage and impel cigarettes in one path, of means movable into and out of operative relationship with said conveyor to retain the cigarettes thereon for diverting the same into another path, and mechanism for controlling the movement of said means operable in timed relation to said conveyor for maintaining said means in operative relationship with said conveyor while a predetermined number only of cigarettes are thus diverted.

A 13. In apparatus for use on cigarette machines, the combination with a weighing apparatus, of means for moving cigarettes in a predetermined path, and means operable in timed relation with said first named means for periodically withdrawing a predetermined number only ofcigarettes from said path and delivering the same to the weighing apparatus.

14. In apparatus for use on cigarette machines, the combination with a weighing apparatus, of means for moving cigarettes in a predetermined path, means operable in timed relation with said first named means for periodically withdrawing a predetermined number only of cigarettes from said path and delivering the same to the weighing apparatus, and mechanism operable in timed relation to said first named means for varying the periodicity of withdrawal of the cigarettes.

15. In apparatus for use on a cigarette making machine, the combination with means for feeding cigarettes, of mechanism operable in timed relation with said feeding means for removing a predetermined number of the cigarettes thus fed, said mechanism including a device movable to intercept the cigarettes, an oscillatable member operable in timed relation to said feeding means, and cam operated means for periodically connecting said oscillatable member and said device.

16. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with means for engaging and impelling cigarettes in one path, of

a device for diverting the engaged cigarettes along another path, and mechanism for rendering said device operative for a period in which a predetermined number only of cigarettes are diverted, said mechanism including means moving at 'a rate comparable with the rate of movement of said first means and in timed relation therewith, and a cam movable at a relatively slow rate for efiecting connection between said last named means and said device.

17. In apparatus for use on cigarette making machines, the combination with means for engaging and impelling cigarettes in one path, of a device for diverting the engaged cigarettes along another path, and mechanism for rendering said device operative for a period in which a predetermined number only of cigarettes are diverted, said mechanism including means moving at a rate comparable with the rate of movement of said first means and in timed relation therewith, a cam movable at a relatively slow rate for efiecting connection between said last named means and said device, and a second cam operable in timed relation with said first cam for disconnecting said last named means and said device.

WALTER EVERETT MOLINS. CYRIL BEST. 

